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Fitbit's redesign blends Material You aesthetics with personalized health tracking
The upcoming makeover is all about user-friendliness
There are plenty of great fitness apps with a wide range of features, but one way for an app to separate itself is to focus on user experience and design. Renowned for its commitment to thorough fitness tracking and health solutions, Fitbit is working on a visual transformation. The Google-owned brand plans to release an innovative, user-centered revamp of its app this autumn that incorporates key elements of the Material You design language. Fitbit enthusiasts can look forward to a sleek, streamlined interface that customizes their health journey with a variety of new features.
Google pulls the AI Test Kitchen app from the Play Store
Another one bites the dust less than a year after introduction
Although generative AI piqued public interest only recently, behind-the-scenes development has been ongoing at companies like Google for a few years now. Testing these cutting edge improvements in AI is usually something reserved for employees and developers, but Google allowed commoners to take its AI projects for a spin with apps like AI Test Kitchen. In an unforeseen turn of events, the company has delisted this app from the Play Store and Apple App Store, perhaps ahead of a complete and unexplained shutdown.
Google Assistant will reportedly get a generative AI reboot
Google is reshuffling Assistant teams in a shift to generative AI
Google demonstrated its eagerness to catch up to rivals in the burgeoning AI race by unveiling a slew of generative AI features for its Workspace apps. The company's rush to hop on that bandwagon may have been spurred by the arrival of OpenAI's ChatGPT last year and Microsoft's introduction of its chat bot-powered Bing earlier this year. The competitive pressure is now pushing Google to reportedly shake things up on the Google Assistant team with a focus on generative AI.
Thanks to the internet, we now have an indispensable knowledge sink at our disposal. And with the rise of mobile devices, there are no barriers or restrictions to learning, which is why education apps include one of the most popular apps on Android to date. Whether you're looking to pick up new skills, get homework help, learn to code, or practice another language, there are apps out there for you. And if you're vying for apps that include basic, intermediate, or advanced levels modes of learning, you will find plenty available that work on just about any trusty Android tablet. But to quickly sort out the amateur-designed learning apps from the list of professionally-endorsed educational apps, we've created this roundup to bring about all the best learning and education apps you can find on the platform today — "knowledge is power," after all.
10 new Android games released July 2023 — from Oxenfree 2 to Pokémon Sleep
Something for everyone this July
From the beautiful puzzle game, Lost in Play to the innovative bullet-hell action of Roto Force, there was a game for everyone this July. We also saw interesting experiments with games like Space Invaders: World Defense which, while unlikely to make it to our frequently updated list of the best games on Android, attempted to try something new with our phones' capabilities.
In this modern era of online banking and mobile apps, picking one service to send money to friends or family can be challenging. Zelle stands out from other payment services since it has partnered with over a thousand banking apps. Using one of the most affordable Android phones lets anyone send and receive Zelle payments. You might be able to send Zelle payments from your bank app, but there's also a dedicated Zelle app. In this guide, we cover how to cancel a Zelle payment using the official app from the Google Play Store.
Google Play Store experiments with new bottom bar behavior
Showing up in more places and carrying different shortcuts
The Google Play Store has been through various redesigns over the years, with the most recent one turning most interface elements blue rather than green, likely in preparation of full Material You support. That’s not the only thing Google is working on, as new variations of the Play Store’s bottom bar have been spotted.
Even with the intense competition from the likes of Microsoft Teams, Slack's popularity remains intact among startups, small businesses, and organizations. One of the reasons for Slack's high acceptance is the built-in Workflow Builder. Slack lets you automate routine tasks to save productivity hours on the go. You can either start from scratch or use one of the templates to create a Slack automation.
How to purchase digital content in Amazon apps on Android
Amazon has removed payment functions in its Android apps, but there are ways to work around that
Before May 2022, picking up the latest movies, captivating e-books, and exciting music on Amazon was as easy as grabbing a new pair of shoes or a comforter set. The digital and physical shopping worlds blended seamlessly. However, you'll notice that things have since changed. While everyday items that need a delivery truck are still just a click away in Amazon's apps, buying digital content requires a little extra work. Here's your roadmap to help you purchase Amazon's digital content on your Android device.
YouTube is testing AI-generated video summaries
YouTube's new experiment is currently limited to English content
YouTube constantly adds new features to its mobile, web, and TV apps to enhance user experience. Some of the Google-owned platform's changes, such as the recent decision to jack up the prices of grandfathered Premium accounts, haven't gone down well with longtime subscribers. Nevertheless, YouTube continues to push on, and the brains behind the operation continue to add new functionality focused on both creators and viewers. We've seen a handful of under-testing features being added to the streaming service recently, and the makers are now adding one more — AI-generated video summaries.
WhatsApp is one of the best encrypted messaging apps, and sharing your QR code helps you grow your contact list. While someone can manually type in your details, scanning your QR code is quicker and easier. This can be done in person or remotely.
Amazon is one of the most popular online shopping sites, making it your go-to option when you want to buy something. The more orders you place, the more likely you'll want to review your past purchases. There may be various reasons to check out your past orders, including buying something again, downloading an invoice, or returning an item.
Google Pixel owners report Android Auto connection issues
Android Auto's random disconnection problem seems to have made a comeback
If you have been using Android Auto for a few years, you'll know connection issues are common with the app. This causes Android Auto to randomly stop or crash on your phone, which can be a frustrating experience when you are using the feature to mirror Google Maps on your car's infotainment system for navigation. The situation has improved though, with Google taking multiple steps to mitigate this problem. But it seems the connection issues are back, with some Google Pixel users facing random disconnects with Android Auto.
What is Internet Identity and how does it work?
Internet Identity is a new type of authentication for Web3. Here's what you should know about it
Passwords are hard. Even with password managers to generate and autofill them, they're still a pain to use for all the daily logins in our lives. The problem is that there aren't any great alternatives. However, the Web3 techs at the DFINITY Foundation are working on a promising alternative. It's Internet Identity (AKA II), and it could reshape our online security. Here's what we know.
WhatsApp is testing an easy way to populate new group chats
Adding participants should not be so tedious
Group messaging is at the core of how so many of us communicate with everyone from friends, to work teams, and even our families. Ever-growing access to great encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp has simplified setting up these groups, as well. WhatsApp has slowly been working to improve group messaging with features like new icons for profile pictures and video messaging, and now, developers are beta testing a convenient new way to add participants to your group chats.
Twitter's disastrous rebrand may soon drop 'tweets' in favor of 'posts'
A brief change showed that the X rebrand may favor the name 'posts'
Elon Musk's push to change Twitter to X has gone through incredibly quickly if you consider how big Twitter is and how much its identity drives its value. When a company's worth is closely tied to its trademark, a rebrand should take time so users can adjust, but Twitter's transformation to X has happened at a breakneck pace. In fact, X's next step could remove another key element from its past.
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is a streamlined VoIP service for personal or business use. Here's everything you should know
Do you need an additional phone number in your life? Google Voice has you covered. This service is easy to sign up for, frequently free, and has few strings attached. Here's everything you need to know.
Samsung Secure Folder: A brief guide to the encrypted folder application every Galaxy smartphone owner should use
Keep your sensitive files private with Secure Folder
We have more sensitive data on our phones today than ever before. VPNs help keep our browsing safe, and security chips in phones help keep our data safe, but how do we keep our private items private? That's where locked folders, which allow you to keep your files locked behind a PIN or biometrics, come in handy. Secure Folder is Samsung's version of this feature, which is available on all
Sync is back on the Play Store, but it's not a third-party Reddit app anymore
The fediverse shall heal us all
The concept of federated social media is still one that's not on many people's minds just yet, but as Twitter got taken over by Elon Musk and Reddit went thermonuclear on third-party apps, many started looking at it as an option. In that regard, Lemmy is to Reddit what Mastodon is to Twitter — a federated alternative where you have many different servers with many different communities co-existing with each other. Being an open alternative to Reddit, it's also where many developers of third-party apps are going. Now, Sync, formerly a third-party app for Reddit, has officially become a Lemmy client, and it's now listed in the Play Store.
If you want to play DOS games on your Android phone or Chromebook, you'll need to jump through a few more hoops than with GBA or PS2 games (both of which can be easily played through one of our top Android game emulators). However, this doesn't mean it's impossible, and once you're done, you can play your favorite DOS games on Android devices.